California Beef & Bean Chili

This is a chili with a California accent: leaner, fresher, and built around chunks of beef round steak instead of ground meat. Those cubes simmer for an hour until they’re tender and you actually feel them in every spoonful.

Two details set it apart. First, the beans cook from scratch, and you save that starchy cooking liquid to use as the broth, which gives the chili far more body than plain water ever could. Second, the cumin seeds get toasted in a dry skillet and crushed fresh, so the spice tastes warm and alive instead of dusty.

Three peppers, green, red, and a hit of jalapeño, plus cayenne and paprika, layer up the heat.

The beans go in only for the last 15 minutes so they hold together rather than breaking down into mush. Fresh oregano, sage, cilantro, and a splash of red wine vinegar keep the whole pot bright.

Chef Tips

• Toast the cumin seeds just until fragrant, then crush them. Pre-ground cumin can’t touch that aroma.
• Use the reserved bean liquid as your broth for a richer, more savory base.
• Brown the beef in batches so it sears instead of steaming. That color is flavor.
• Add the cooked beans at the very end so they stay whole and don’t cook down to paste.

Variations

• Use canned beans to skip the soak, adding them in the last 15 minutes as written.
• Swap round steak for chuck if you want a richer, fattier chili.
• Top with avocado, sharp cheddar, or a dollop of sour cream and serve with cornbread.